Charter Communications ripoff excessive installation fee charged Hoover Alabama

I moved to Alabaster in October of last year and contacted Charter Cable to set up my cable service. My first call to the company was not a pleasant experience. The woman that took my call was very short with me and not helpful at all. I asked her if I could speak with another customer service representative since we were not communicating and it seemed she was not interested in helping me. She told me that she was the only person in that office and there was no-one else that could assist me. I told her that in that case I would not be using Charter.

I then called Charter Communications in Tuscaloosa, AL (the city I was moving from) and the lady there told me to call back to the Birmingham office because there were about 50 representatives in that office that could assist me. This confirmed my suspicions that the first woman lied to me. I did call back and talked with another representative who was very helpful and scheduled my installation for cable and internet connections and I thought everything was going to be okay. She told me there would be a $25.00 installation fee that I would need to pay when the installation was performed.

The installer arrived on time and connected everything for me. He did tell me there would be an additional $25.00 installation fee because he had to run some type of line and I told him that would be fine. Once again, I thought everything was going to be okay.

Everything was great until I received my first bill. Rather than a $25.00 additional installation fee, the fee was $125.00. I went to the Hoover office on Lorna Lane and talked with them about the charge. I went ahead and paid everything except the $100.00 excessive charge. The woman in that office was very passive and told me that she would have her Supervisor call me about the charge but it would be the following Monday before they would be able to call me. I told her that would be fine. No-one ever called me.

I received my second bill with the excessive $100.00 charge still on it and I returned to the Hoover office. This time, the woman in the office was again very passive (as if I was interrupting her) but told me I had to call the Customer Service number for this type complaint. She stated that they could not help me with this problem.

I called the Customer Service number (1-866-227-9655) and they told me that the local office was the only one that could help me with this.

I then returned to the local office to only be told once again to call the Customer Service Number. I called the Customer Service number again and this time I lodged a complaint about the Hoover office and told them that no-one in that office would help me and that I was not going down there again.

At this point, the Customer Service Rep. told me they would have a Supervisor call me within the next three days and advised me not to pay my bill until I heard from them. I waited a couple of weeks with no phone call and I called them again. I was told the same thing again - a Supervisor would have to call me and it would happen within 3 days.

In January, I was frantic because my bill was past due and I could not get anyone to help me. At this point, I spoke with a very nice man who told me that the computer did not show that I had ever called. He assured me he would put it in the computer and have a Supervisor to call me within 3 days. He gave me a number that was assigned to the problem.

After a couple of weeks still with no return call, I called again and asked for the same man that had been so polite and had actually gotten the problem logged in the computer. I was told that I could not speak with him but the man I talked to this time told me he would take care of it for me. He told me again that a Supervisor would call me within 3 days. Again, no phone call.

I received another bill last week and I called the Customer Service number (1-866-227-9655) last Thursday, March 6th. The Representive I spoke with was very sympathetic to my problem and told me that she would have her Supervisor call me within the hour. Today is March 12th and I still have not received a phone call. I gave her three different phone numbers (home, work & cell). I have Voice Mail service for all 3 numbers and no-one has called.

In the meantime, they are assessing late charges on my account. Obviously, if there was any other choice for cable service to my home, I would cancel this service but I have no choice.

It is hard for me to believe that a company can stay in business with Supervisors that do not call customers when requested. I believe that the Customer Service Rep's I spoke with on the last three occasions did what they said they would do. It seems that the Supervisors are the ones that are not following through. I do not know anyone that is happy with Charter Communications. I have had cable service through the City of Dothan, AL and cable and internet service through Comcast in Tuscaloosa. Both of these were excellent services and I had no problems that were not promptly resolved.

I understand that Hoover has a hotline for complaints but I have not been able to locate a number for it. Does anyone out there know the number or have any suggestions of what I can do next? This is very frustrating.

Cindy
Alabaster, Alabama
U.S.A.